Reality and fantasy ebb and flow in Macarthur Fellow Sarah Ruhl's work, The Clean House (2005 Pulitzer Prize Finalist). Matilde, a recent immigrant and housekeeper, is searching for the perfect joke. Lane is frustrated by the uncleanliness of her house and the unwillingness of her housekeeper to clean. Along with her husband Charles and his lover Ana, they live in a shifting world where apples are infinite and cancer can be cured by "you medicine." Life is complicated in The Clean House.

by Sarah Ruhl 
directed by Sasha Ayvazov 

 

Sara Fontes (Matilde) is a second year Political Science major in the College. This is her first show as part of UT, though she was in the Maya show this past quarter and in UBallet's production of Don Quixote last year. She hopes you will enjoy the show!

Xan Belzley is a third-year English major in the college. She stage managed This is Our Youth with University Theater and Orestes at Delphi with First Floor Theater, and assistant stage managed reWILDing Genius with UT/TAPS and The New Colony. She has acted with the Dean's Men in Twelfth Night and Cymbeline and in the workshops Alices: Adventures in Wonderland and Boston Marriage. Xan is grateful for this team and this magical play.

Ellie Smith is a first-year History major in the College. She has previously appeared in Hedda Gabler.

Atticus Ballesteros (Charles) is a first-year in the College, majoring in who-knows-what. Last quarter he played Duke Frederick in the Dean's Men production of As You Like It.

Elise Wander is a third-year majoring in English and Gender Studies. She has previously appeared in The Glass Menagerie (Laura) and Cymbeline (Pisanio), and is proud to have assistant directed and co-directed the 2012 and 2013 Vagina Monologues.

Sasha Ayvazov (Director) is a third-year Math and English double major, but spends most of his time wondering why he does so much theater. He is beyond thrilled to be directing this dream team, having previously assistant directed The Physicists and directed for the Chekhov Workshops, New Work Week, and, most recently, Attori Senza Paura's Halloween Sexxxtravaganza. He has also worked as a stage manager, production manager, actor, designer, committee liaison, and assistant on 26 shows on campus with UT, Attori Senza Paura (commedia dell'arte), Le Vorris and Vox (circus), CES, The Dean's Men, and Theater[24]. The Clean House is his 7th UT mainstage. He is a member of UT committee, and is a curator for Theater[24].

Abigail Adams is a second year in the college. She is a Gender Studies major. She has previously stage managed for The Merchant of Venice and assistant stage managed for The Credeaux Canvas.

Alexandra Garfinkle (Production Manager) is a third-year in the College, majoring in English and Russian Studies. This is her sixth UT credit.

Adam Kratoska (Lighting Designer) is a third-year Linguistics major in the college. A first time designer for UT, prior to a study abroad jaunt off to India last quarter Adam has had experience running follow spot for Drowsy Chaperone, as well as helping design for CES' "Tis Pity She's a Whore" and "Coriolanus"; next quarter will bring the excitement of performing in the TAPS circus pro-show. Outside of theatre Adam serves as current president of Le Vorris & Vox circus, and is employed by the Logan Centre Performance Hall.

Jay Feldman (Sound Designer) is a third-year Physics and Chemistry major, experimenting more on the design side of things.  He has been a performer in 6 Le Vorris and Vox Circus shows, was assistant props for The Lion In Winter, and performed in Beowulf.

Sylva Osbourne is a fourth-year Music and Italian double major in the College. She has previously been Assistant Stage Manager for The Last Five Years and Assistant Scenic Designer for The Real Thing. She performed last year in the circus winter show, Principia Circusatica, and designed the set for The Drowsy Chaperone last spring.

Jack Phillips has previously costumed As You Like It and Henry VI, and set designed This Is Our Youth.

Missy Smith is a second-year Psychology and Anthropology double major in the College. Props designing for The Clean House is her first show with University Theater.

Gabrielle Costa is a third-year Interdisciplinary Studies in the Humanities major with a focus on character development. She has previously directed the opening scene from Top Girls for the Winter 2013 Workshops, in addition to directing for Theater[24] and New Work Week.

Martha Templeton is a third-year majoring in Mathematics. She has previously been an Assistant Stage Manager for The Real Thing and the Assistant Scenic Designer for The Drowsy Chaperone. She is also master electrician for Godspell, 10th week. Outside of UT, she has participated in multiple CES shows and is a loyal member of Le Vorris & Vox circus.

Mariel Shlomchik (Assistant Director) is a first-year Biology major. She has previously assistant stage managed As You Like It, and will continue to be involved in University Theater in the future!

Liza Ellingboe (Assistant Stage Manager) is a second-year Russian and Gender Studies double major in the College. This is her first show since being Hamlet III in a middle school production. She's thrilled to have been pulled into the world of UT.

Panya Gupta (Assistant Production Manager) is a first-year tentative Statistics major in the College. This is her first UT show, and her first time assistant production managing, but she looks forward to working on other shows in the future.

Gabriella Mulder (Assistant Scenic Designer) is a first-year Sociology and Gender Studies double major in the College.  This is her first UT show.

Sarah Kim (Assistant Lighting Designer) is a first-year in the College. She has previously worked on Grey Gardens (Assistant Director), and is working on Godspell (Assistant Dramaturg) this quarter.

Joshua Harris (Assistant Sound Designer) is a second-year English and TAPS major. He has previously sound designed As You Like It and the Fall 2013 Workshops, and has worked sound for two other UT shows. Later this quarter he will be designing the Commedia Show High Art and assisting on A Midsummer Night's Dream. Earlier this year he directed a play he wrote called croMagnum as part of CES Fest and the Beckett play Eh Joe as part of the Fall Workshops.

Lucia Lu (Assistant Sound Designer) is a second-year Computer Science major in the College. The Clean House is her first UT show.